Every year I knit myself at least one pair of mittens or gloves. And every year, half of the pair I wear most often somehow manages to get lost. I suppose this is the normal way of things – I see so many single mittens or gloves along the side of city paths or sidewalks, sometimes draped over benches or fences, so I at least know it happens to everyone at some time – but damn. It’s hard losing an object that you’ve put hours of time into making yourself.

Last winter this happened to me with the pair of red wool gloves I knitted myself to match the Laurel beret I made out of Cascade 220. They were pretty simple, worked from instructions in a now-out-of-print Patons pattern booklet, and gave a suitably matchy vibe along with the hat. Then, I lost one. I can’t exactly remember how, but I do know that I was grateful to have one remaining intact pair of gloves left to fall back on.

I’ve heard that sometimes people solve problems like this by going to a store and buying a new pair of gloves. But of course, they wouldn’t be the same, and since I’m a 5’9″ woman with long fingers the gloves in the stores never fit me as nicely as I’d like. So since then, I’ve kept telling myself I’d re-knit the lost glove, and it’s taken almost another year but I finally did it.

Despite being only half a pair of gloves and therefore only half a project, I’m calling this my first Finished Object of 2011. Psychologically it feels like the same effort, to go back and re-do something that was already complete once upon a time.

In looking through my stash I also discovered a thrummed mitten kit I bought from Tanis Fiber Arts at the Knitter’s Frolic in Toronto a full year and a half ago, and buoyed by my glove momentum have finally taken it out of hiding to turn into actual mittens. I will be prepared for losses this year, oh yesiree. These will be warm and toasty so long as I can manage to keep my hands on (or in?) them.

Have you any finished knits already for 2011? What are you most looking forward to working on next?

I have yet to knit myself a pair of gloves. I’m much more of a mitten person, but maybe that’s because I have the opposite problem from you, I have short, tiny fingers and store bought gloves are always too big! Maybe I need to try and knit myself a pair and then I’ll be a glove person.

Lovely gloves! Once I made the mistake of not picking up a glove that I dropped in the snow. I was on my way to work and I was running late and, since I would be retuning in about 3 hours, I thought I’d get it on the way back. In the meantime, the city plowed my road and the glove was lost forever. Boo.

My first project this year was the Speedy Cabled Beret. After I saw it on your blog, I couldn’t resist! Thanks for the inspiration!

EZ recommends making *3* mittens to start with, and then when the inevitable happens, you are prepared. :) I suspect that works best with plain mittens/gloves with no fancy stuff on the back. Myself, I’ve managed to hang on to the pair of mittens I knitted last year, but have managed to lose *both* Le Slouch hats that I’ve knit. Boo. :( And one of them was Silk Garden, too! :P At least I have enough Boku left from the last one (I bought 2 skeins and only needed part of one) to make yet another one.

As for the mittens, I have another pair in the works, but am really, really tempted to put a safety string on both pairs. Hey, I’m not too proud to admit that I loose things! I’d rather have my mittens be safe and look like a bit of an idiot than have freezing hands. I’d also rather not have pockets full of bulky mittens. :)

Can’t wait to see the thrummed mittens worked up! I want a pair for myself.

I have yet to knit my first pair of gloves. I imagine I’ll knit a pair of mittens for one of the kids first though – somehow these days the kids projects always get done before my own…

It’s so soul-destroying to lose something you’ve knitted. It’s never happened to me with handknit gloves (since I’ve not knitted any, haha), but I’ve had several sweaters that were felted (by me or by other people) and each time it was just awful. Well done on replacing the lost item. :-)

My first FO is also my first real color work project and my first self designed pattern. Unfortunately, I have no picture to show you but it is my North Wind Mittens. They say on them: “Heed the north wind’s mighty gale, lock the doors and set the sail.” My intent is to make a pair of mittens for each wind (east, south and west also), but I got waylaid by a SpillyJane pattern called Isadora which I purchased in December and didn’t quite get going. They’re coming along nicely now and I anticipate a second FO by the end of the week. In the midst of this I am making a cardigan for my husband and I still have my self imposed sock club sock to get a move on so at this rate, i should have a really prolific year! YAY FO’s!!! This looks like it will be a great year for hand coverings!

P.S. Might I suggest you sew a little clip inside your pocket of your jacket to clip your mittens to so whey you are running or biking they are more securely in your pocket and can’t slip out. Like the clips kids have for their mittens only sew it inside the pocket so the mittens/gloves aren’t flapping annoyingly at your side all the time.

I feel your lost glove pain, I knit a pair of thrummed mitts a few years ago, and the first night I wore them out, I lost one. When I made my Fiddlehead mittens this winter, I put a mitten string on them. I know it’s a bit lame to be in your 30s and have a mitten string, but I haven’t lost a mitt yet! God, if I did lose a Fiddlehead mitt, I think I’d probably cry.

I am really good at fairly easy projects, so I’ve finished a beautiful pair of mitts for my sister to give as a gift, and they are tooooo tiny, so a random little girl will be getting them instead and I did a great hat for myself which I did the finishing touches on yesterday and even got to wear when I got my son off the bus today!

Last week I walked back to my car from the library and saw one of my mittens on the ground beside my car door. The other one was in the floorboard. I must have had them in my lap when I got out of the car. I feel so grateful that I didn’t lose them!

The roving in your kit is a lovely color, can’t wait to see your finished mittens. I notice the wine glass in your picture, I think it would take many of those to make me feel better after losing one of my hand knits. With so much time into your projects, it can be very disappointing.

I have been knitting hats for myself to test out a pattern. Next I need to adapt the pattern for larger heads….mine is 22 inches. I have thought about knitting some gloves and it just so happens I have some Cascade 220 lurking in my stash….but not til after I finish the baby blanket for the new grandbaby due next month.

It is SO nice to hear that other folks are actually thinking about resorting to mitten strings! :D Even if we are likely to be in completely different countries, let alone cities. I think I will in fact have to plan on doing that as soon as I’m done with the second set of mittens and sort out what I have for left overs.

The only other thing I can think of is hooks/clips and rings, but that sounds awkward even to me….

Wow, there have been a lot of inspirtonal mittens going around this year. I’m rather tempted to try a pair myself. Only problem is I finished a sheep hot water bottle cover and still have 5 balls of wool left over! Any suggestions?
Pandora’s Basket
x

My mom is 62 and still has a pair of mitts with strings on them and she’s actually quite proud of the string. My 8 year old on the other hand doesn’t like the string but wears them anyways. All I have to say is strings are the best way to keep all beautiful mitts or gloves safe. As for FO I finished a toy elephant, train dish cloth, baby starfish dish cloth (pattern from Elaine at Down Cloverlaine) and soon to be finished a baby blanket.
happy knitting to all